


When the Warners Were Put Away

by Glamourous



Category: Animaniacs
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dark, Angst, Caring siblings, Gen, Mental Breakdown, Non-Graphic Violence, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-15 22:41:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28571664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glamourous/pseuds/Glamourous
Summary: "What exactly are you proposing here?""I am proposing..." The man started, peering down at everyone with the same unpleasant stare. "That we end the Warners' shenanigans for good."The Warner brothers and their sister Dot have a routine of fun and chaos. However, that all changes when someone's willing to do what no one else has: stop the Warner's at ANY cost. Even if it means bringing someone in harm's way.
Relationships: Dot Warner & Wakko Warner & Yakko Warner, Dr. Otto Scratchansniff & Dot Warner & Wakko Warner & Yakko Warner, Dr. Otto Scratchansniff & Yakko Warner
Comments: 30
Kudos: 77





	1. Welcome to Warner Bros

The Water Tower.

One of the first things a visitor would notice on The Warner Bros movie lot.

Though, most visitors don't know what's inside the Water Tower.

The employees however, did. And they dreaded what was to come when they saw the Warner siblings scurry their way out of the Water Tower once again.

* * *

"Well sibs, it looks like we won't be seeing him for a while" Yakko watched as the tourist they had been harassing all morning drove away by golf cart. He had practically been pulling out his hair and screaming by the time he got away, a reaction the Warners often received. It had all started when the siblings had decided to tag along on a tour around the movie lot. They came into contact with a rude person and well... It was "love" at first sight.

"Guess he didn't want to be our special friend after all..." Yakko's younger sister Dot replied, putting on a sincere tone in her voice. Wakko, the youngest Warner brother, turned to her and nodded sadly. They were most definitely joking, watching the jerks they encountered run away In defeat was one of the funniest parts. Still, it was fun to act the part of the rejected.

"Ah, don't worry about it sis. There are plenty of other people just waiting to be friends with us!" Yakko looked down at his younger siblings and smiled. "Besides, we still have the rest of the day to do whatever we want!"

"Oh yeah." Dot answered plainly, dropping any sort of facade she had. "But just what ARE we going to do now?" Wakko asked. He looked up at Yakko with a questioning look on his face, probably hoping that either his older brother or younger sister had an answer. Yakko thought for a moment, but the answer was pretty clear. Whatever they did, chaos would probably ensue.

"We could go to the beach" Dot suggested. Yakko immediately shook his head. "Nah too risky. Do you know how much work it'd take to clean if we got sand everywhere?" Dot nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah you're right..." She muttered.

"We could take the dog for a walk" Wakko piped in. His older brother looked down at him and frowned. "We'd need a dog first Wakko." He replied simply. "Oh. Right."

They all pondered for a moment, audible "hmmms" from each of them. That is until Yakko spoke up, ready to offer an idea to his siblings. "Well-" He was interrupted by a loud yell from behind the trio. A large man was racing towards them with a net in hand, calling out to undoubtedly get their attention. He ran up to the Warner siblings, but was stopped by a raised hand from Yakko before getting too close. Yakko crossed his arms and frowned deeply. "Hey uh, Ralph. Buddy. Not sure if anyone's ever told you this, but it's incredibly rude to interrupt someone" Yakko retorted.

Ralph paused for a moment. "But uh..." He started off his sentence hesitantly. "But I'm supposed to capture you guys." Yakko gasped in an exaggerated way. "Why I am inSULTED" he threw his head up dramatically to set the scene. "Hasn't anyone taught you manners young man?"

Yakko spied his siblings out of the corner of his eye. They both had managed to muster up equally as offended face expressions, though their performances weren't nearly as theatrical as his. Ralph sighed, and plopped himself down on the ground. "Alright, go on..." He grumbled angrily. Yakko took his time turning to his brother and sister, even clearing his throat before speaking. "Well sibs" he started off, continuing his sentence from before. "It feels like this day is missing something. A bit of our usual routine."

"You mean this routine?" Dot asked, gesturing to the pouting security guard.

"Exactly" Yakko grinned and pointed to his siblings matter-of-factly, before turning around and running away. He knew his siblings had followed close behind him, but it took a moment for Ralph to realize what was happening. "Hey!" He called out, chasing after the fleeing trio.

The Warners raced away from their chaser, hopping over obstacles in their way. There was even a point where Wakko knocked over a few people while trying to get around them, resulting in distance between the Warners and Ralph. The pursuit carried on, and as they all ran around the lot, Yakko looked up and noticed the water tower. Nothing like home sweet home. _They can't lock us in the water tower if we're already inside._

While they would end up in the same place no matter how this chase ended, the Warners were usually left alone if they went in on their own. Besides, if they got there first, THEY would get to choose if it was locked.

Yakko was so busy looking where he was going that he wasn't paying attention to what was in front of him. Suddenly, he slammed into something large that was in his way. He stumbled back, clutching his head before looking up to to see what he had crashed into. It was a tall, bulky man with large features and an unpleasant demeanor. He was scowling, borderline snarling, fiercely at the smaller boy. Before Yakko could had any chance to react, the man grunted and stomped away.

_That was weird._ Yakko thought as he watched the stranger plod into the distance.

"Yakko, what was that about? Are you alright?" Dot's questioning voice appeared behind him as she and Wakko caught up. Yakko immediately moved his hand from his head and turned to face his younger siblings.

"Oh... Yeah yeah I'm alright." He began, pushing any of the strange feelings he had aside. He didn't want Wakko or Dot to feel as spooked as he was, especially since there probably wasn't anything to worry about. "Just bumped into someone."

The familiar yells of the security guard came from close behind the siblings. The three of the barely dodged an incoming net swipe from Ralph as he caught up to them. "Yikes!" They cried out, before running off in the direction of the water tower.

Yakko couldn't stop thinking about the encounter he had as he fled. There was something about that particular stranger that sent a shiver down his spine, and he wasn't sure why. Oh well, best to forget about it. It's probably nothing.

* * *

Long bony fingers parted a section of the blinds. Haughty eyes peered down at the lot below, scanning the scene taking place. The man had heard about the sort of rascality that took place here, but it wasn't until he witnessed the sequence taking place was he sure in his suspicions. He narrowed his eyes at the the three distinctive shapes bouncing away and the lumbering man behind them. His scowl deepened while he let go of the blinds, plunging the room around him in darkness. The lanky man stepped back, moving his thin hands to three files laying across the table. "It seems things are worse than I originally thought." He pressed a button, and started to speak over the intercom. "Get everyone down here. We're going through with it."


	2. Bored Meeting

The creak of the elevator doors seemed especially ominous today.

Dr. Scratchansniff stepped hesitantly inside, ringing his hands nervously. _Calm down Otto, there's nothing to be worried about. It's just going to be another boring meeting._ He thought to himself in an attempt to sooth his nerves. He felt irritated when it didn't work.

Dr. Scratchansniff pushed the right buttons on the elevator, taking him higher up in the building. While he waited, he noticed how unusually anxious he was. He had no idea why, the worst that could happen is that he's asked to do another painful job.

Like the time he was assigned to the Warner kids.

While that was certainly a reason to feel stressed, he had a feeling that wasn't what he was worried about. No... It was a certain feeling of dread that he couldn't shake away.

It was ominous.

Dr. Scratchansniff almost leapt out of skin when the elevator stopped. He frowned, irritated with his nerves. The doors slid open, and Scratchansniff swallowed nervously before shuffling out into the empty hallway. The dark corridor loomed around him, and a sense of impending doom started to settle in. A few doors were passed, but the therapist's destination was one lurking at the end of the hall. It was a different room than the one meetings were usually held in, he only knew the way because the directions were repeated countless times to the employees before coming.

His hand wavered in front of the doorknob. For whatever reason, Scratchansniff couldn't bring himself to go inside. _Stop this at once Otto._ He internally scolded himself. _There's nothing to be nervous about! It's a meeting just like all the others._

Somehow he was having trouble believing himself.

After a long moment had passed, the therapist took a deep breath and entered the room. It felt like a million eyes were staring at him. He knew he couldn't have been late so... Was everyone else early? Very early if that was the case, it seemed like everyone else was there but him.

Scratchansniff chuckled awkwardly before finding himself a seat. He sat at the only open spot at the table, a chair directly across from the board placed in the middle of the room. He found it a bit ironic that the only open seat was next to Heloise Nerz, or Hello Nurse as she was often called these days, being that she was seen as the most attractive person at the studio. 

After a few moments, everyone went back to doing their own things. A few small conversations between people were taking place, but besides that the room was still and quiet. Otto rested his head on one of his hands, feeling his anxiousness die down. He sighed a breath of relief. _I was right, nothing to worry about. Just a normal, boring-_

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Everyone went quiet as a tall, wiry, and foreboding man strode his way to the front of the room. The way he moved and composed himself was quite... intimidating. His actions portrayed a man who knew how everything would end... and it would be the way he wanted it to. Even his mere presence hushed everyone in the room. Everything was silent. Everything was still. 

Dr. Scratchansniff watched the hunched figure as he slowly made his way to his destination. He walked slowly and loudly, his shoes tapping against the floor in a harsh way. It was probably deliberate. Either way, it certainly added to his menacing demeanor. The man paused, reaching out a thin hand from behind his back and flipped the light switch. A few people started whispering in confused and hostile voices, but were once again silenced when the strange man stood at the front end of the table. He sat down in the chair directly across from Scratchansniff, a frown apparent on his pale face. He turned his attention to the group of employees sitting around him. "Shall we begin?" He asked in a smooth, deep voice. 

Once again hushed whispers were heard. One brave soul spoke up, willing to ask a question that no one else was. "Just one question. Who ARE you?"

There was unbearable tension in the time it took for the the man to answer. "... I am Mr. Ries." He spoke In a loud, commanding voice. "But just call me 'sir' for now." 

That one sentence envoked many reactions from the other people in the room, none of which were good. Everyone started blurting out many different questions and statements at once. Scratchansniff just sunk back into his chair, hoping to stay out of everything.

"Just WHAT makes you think you can come in here saying stuff like that?" 

"Are you the boss of us? We already HAVE a boss!"

"Why'd you turn the lights off?"

Mr. Ries frowned at the employees, before snapping his fingers. That's when two more people entered the scene, a thin lady and a large stocky man. The man scowled at the scene, punching his fist in his hand. The room was still once more.

"To answer the light question" Mr. Ries started casually. "I find it wastes money to keep them on when unneeded."

If anyone had heard his reply, they showed no reaction to it. Everyone kept staring at the two strangers who had entered the room. Mr. Ries must have noticed, for he introduced them next. "Everyone, meet my associates. This is Ms. Lynn" he gestured to the woman, who had crazy red hair and looked like she hadn't slept in days. "Heya" she replied in a light, slightly raspy voice. Scratchansniff realized that she was the one giving out directions over the intercom. She seemed to be the least intimidating out of the three. "And this is Debbie." The stocky man put on a forced smile and waved. 

"Debbie?!" A person blurted out, amusement apparent in their voice.

"He also likes to be called Cuddles" Mr. Ries replied while Debbie clenched his fist.

"...Debbie's fine."

"Good. Now that introductions are taken care of..." Mr. Ries pulled out three folders and laid them out on the table. "It's time to discuss why I called this meeting."

Scratchansniff was puzzled. This stranger called the meeting? Who was he, and what gave him the power to do that?

"Now. It appears your company has a bit of a problem. Or should I say THREE problems." 

Everyone was quiet, waiting to hear what this strange man had to say next.

"Yes..." Mr. Ries mused. "Three big problems hindering the performance of your company. You all need help. Badly." His voice darkened on that last word, a sound that sent shivers down Scratchansniff's spine.

"Luckily for you, I am just the kind of help you need. No need to thank me."

Dr. Scratchansniff had a feeling that if it wasn't for Debbie's looming presence there would have been cries of protest from a few of the employees. However, that didn't stop one fellow from yelling out his concern's 

"Hey! Are you callin' us lousy?!" A man (who Dr. Scratchansniff assumed was a director) called out.

"Oh, I'm sure you tried your best" Mr. Ries replied in a certain condescending tone. "But I'm afraid there's one major flaw in 'your best'. None of you are truly willing to do what must be done. I however, am."

A few mutters among the employees. A few whispers. Suddenly, Hello Nurse sat up quickly, scooting her seat back a bit in the process. She scoffed. "What EXACTLY are you proposing here?"

"I am proposing..." The man started, peering down at everyone with the same unpleasant stare. "That we end the Warners' shenanigans for good."

Scratchansniff could've sworn Mr. Ries was staring at him at the end. He had to avert his eyes, the eye contact with the stranger was just too freaky. While Scratchansniff looked around at the other people around the table, their expressions were quite similar to his. Looking around now, he realized that he was exaggerating quite a bit earlier. It was closer to 10 - 15 people. It seems like only specific people were chosen for this meeting.

Everyone was silent. Scratchansniff stared in shock. He was proposing to do the same thing that the studio had tried countless times before... How would his solutions be any different?

"But we've tried that already!" A voice spoke up. Seems she had the same idea as Scratchansniff.

"Not the way I've planned it" Mr. Ries rested his hand on the folders. "I plan to do more than 'just try'. I'm willing to do whatever it takes, an ambition none of you have shared."

Dr. Scratchansniff's eyes widened. What did Mr. Ries mean by that? His intentions seemed so... Sinister. _Surely he doesn't mean anything by that..._ Scratchansniff thought nervously. He doesn't intend to harm them right?

Mr. Ries reached his hand towards the top of the folder, like he planned on opening it (eventually). "My fellow men, I am willing to take some extreme measures to reach my goal. I can only hope that the rest of you will join me."

More mutters around the room. This time, it was Scratchansniff's turn to speak his mind. He leaned forward, raising his hand slightly as if silently asking permission to talk. "But, what do you mean by 'extreme'? You're not actually planning on hurting the kiddies are you?"

Mr. Ries pulled his hand away from the folders.

"I will do what must be done." The stranger quirked an eyebrow at the man across from him. "You of all people should understand the destruction of the Warner siblings. Wouldn't it be nice to be done dealing with their chaos?"

Scratchansniff thought for a moment. The Warners were one of the biggest stresses in his. They drove him mad, to the point where he pulled out his own hair! And yet... He just couldn't get behind harming the little fellows.

"But-"

"Please doctor. I wouldn't go out of my way to mistreat children." His voice was light and casual. "I'm simply doing the bare minimum to stop them. I'm sure you could get behind that."

"I... I suppose so..."

"Lovely" Mr. Ries clasped his hands together loudly, making the people in the room who had zoned out jump. He continued to prattle on about little details, getting to the main idea agonizingly slow. Dr. Scratchansniff couldn't stop thinking. How did this stranger know so much about him? It made his skin crawl, but...

_Maybe he does know what he's doing. Maybe he really can calm the kids down. Maybe this is all a GOOD thing._

Either way, this wasn't exactly the "bored Meeting" he was expecting.

"Now" A small grin started to creep up the sides of Mr. Ries's pale face. "Let me explain my plan."

* * *

The meeting was finally over. And it was a pain. Mr. Ries hadn't quite expected so much hostilities and questions. He had planned out the entire meeting, from the beginning to the end, yet those darned employees took him off track multiple times. However, he had still managed to pull things together, and he supposed one could never go through life without a little improv. And besides, one good thing did come out of it all. Mr. Ries once again had his suspicions confirmed. 

He watched as the employees left one by one, until the person he was looking for reached the door. "Oh, Dr. Scratchansniff" he spoke, not needing to raise his voice for the therapist to have heard him. "Stay back here a moment. I need to have a word with you."

If Dr. Scratchansniff was trying to hide any fear he felt he did a terrible job. He was just able to squeak out a pathetic "me?" Before begrudgingly walking over.

"Calm yourself doctor." Mr. Ries rested his hands on the table. "I only wish to talk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am aware that this chapter is much longer than the last one, I just had a lot of information to get out in it. I want to say "the rest of the chapters will be the same length" but I know that's just not true


	3. What Must be Done

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear that Mr. Ries isn't an inhumanly spider man. He's a (decently) normal looking person.

Yakko sat on the bed he shared with Wakko, watching his younger siblings as they occupied themselves with their own activities. Wakko was ransacking the fridge, his arms full of snacks, while Dot sat in front of a mirror "beautifying herself". Yakko yawned. He was unbelievably tired that night from all the activities earlier in the afternoon. As he watched his siblings, he noticed their actions become sluggish and yawn filled. That was all he needed to call it quits for the night.

"Alright sibs, I think it's time for bed." Yakko said lightly. He wasn't quite expecting the whines and complaints, but it's what he got.

"Aww, how come?" Wakko cried, looking up from his stack of snacks. The disappoinment was evident in his voice and on his face.

"'Cause." Yakko answered simply. "I'm tired."

It was much more than that. He felt exhausted, a deep sort of fatigue deep in his core. It was most definitely from his constant movement during the day. In fact, they had barely had a moment to rest. It was strange, after Ralph had lost energy and finally had given up... It wasn't the end of it. Different people, employees Yakko had never even seen chased them around the lot. They had almost caught them a few times as well. The other employees NEVER chased them. 

"But why can't WE stay up?" Dot whined, looking at her brother through the mirror she stood in front of instead of turning around. Yakko snapped out of his thoughts and turned to his little sister. He decided to stop thinking about what had happened... It only confused him. Yakko had a simple answer for Dot as well.

"'Cause. You're tired too." He knew his siblings were going were going to protest, but it was the truth.

"No!..." Wakko objected between a comedically timed yawn as he walked closer. Yakko chuckled slightly with laughter, giving his younger siblings an amused look.

"What's with all the fuss tonight anyway?" Yakko asked. Usually the three of them would decide when it was bed time together, usually around the same time (though on weekends they sometimes stayed up 'til they crashed). Yakko certainly felt like crashing, and he was certain his siblings did too. So... Why were they so insistent on staying awake? 

Dot turned to her older brother, a mischievous grin on her face. She walked over to Yakko and leaned in close, like she had a secret. "If you must know" she started. "Wakko found some movies in Ralph's booth. We were planning to have a movie marathon tonight."

Ah, so that was their angle. They had plans. Yakko thought, and realized that his siblings must have snatched Ralph's movies when they had ran past his booth to get away from him. Yakko had hopped across it without giving a second thought, but apparently his sibs had not done the same. That was right before Yakko had been chased by a director... He shook his head. There was something more important right now. Yakko stood up and looked down at his siblings with crossed arms.

"Now sibs..." He said in a disappointed tone. "You know that wasn't right."

Wakko and Dot were stricken. They looked down sadly. "B-but" Dot defended. "We were going to return them-"

"Nooo, not that" Yakko shook his head. "It wasn't right to plan on watching them without ME!" Wakko and Dot immediately perked up, their smiles returning. Yakko was absolutely flabbergasted, and his siblings found that amusing. He felt the urge to gasp in shock dramatically, but he didn't want to oversell it.

"Well, YOU'RE the one why wanted to go to bed" Dot replied with a smug expression. "We didn't know if you'd be able to handle it. You know, being so tired and all."

Dot's sass both made Yakko want to laugh and defend himself persistently. He placed his hands on his hips and looked down at his sister. If it was a battle of words she wanted, that's what she would get, and he would most certainly win.

"And I still stand by that." Yakko replied. "Someone's gotta be responsible around here."

"You huh?" Dot asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Well" Yakko shrugged his shoulders. "For now."

Yakko tended to make the decisions when the Warners were out causing chaos, and it wasn't much different when they were alone either. He might not be any more mature than his little siblings, but he tried to make the best decisions when the time called for it.

"So then, too responsible to have fun with your adorable little sister?" Dot looked up at Yakko with large, pleading eyes. He couldn't tell whether she was using her "cuteness" to sway him or whether she was just being herself. "Pleeeease let us just watch one movie!" It was tempting to take pity on her, but during their conversation Yakko had thought of a better proposition.

"Alright how 'bout this: we wait until tomorrow to watch the movies-"

Dot interrupted him. "No no no. It can't be in the day, it's not the right atmosphere." Wakko nodded.

"Allllright then, we watch the movies tomorrow _night."_ Wakko and Dot seemed to deflate a little. "But!" Yakko quickly added, hoping his next idea would cheer them up a bit. "Tonight, we can read one of those stories we started-"

Yakko was once again interrupted by his siblings, this time it was groans. He frowned deeply when he heard what his siblings were saying.

"No! not YOUR stories!" Dot whined.

"Yeah, your stories all have a bunch of big fancy words we can't understand!" Wakko added, dropping his snacks in the process.

Yakko's frown somehow deepened. How could they hate his reading so much, when they barely started any books? He tried to make the reading of them interesting. He once again crossed his arms.

"Hey! I'll have you know that I only read the finest of literature!" That retort didn't seem to make things any better, being that Dot and Wakko groaned at his remark. 

"Come on, just one chapter" Yakko bargained with his little siblings. "We can watch whatever movies you want tomorrow" Yakko looked at Dot with similar puppy eyes that she had given him.

"Alright alright!" Dot cried out. "We'll listen to your story just- don't do _that._ " Dot walked over to the vanity from before, most likely to take off the makeup she was wearing. While Wakko bent down to pick up the food he had dropped, Yakko strolled over to a pile of books on the floor. These were the stories that the three of them had started reading but inevitably given up on for one reason or another. Yakko picked a random book from the top of the pile, barely paying attention to which one it was, and sat back down on his bed. He was sat in the middle, comfortably waiting for his siblings. Sure, running around was fun and all, but he had never felt so grateful for a bed than in that moment. He could tell his siblings felt the same way when they sat next to him, their heads leaning tiredly on his shoulders before he had even opened the book. Yakko smiled.

"Now, where did we leave off?" Yakko questioned aloud, receiving only the response of Wakko crunching on a chip that he had coated in sugar. He flipped the book open to the bookmark (which was only a few pages in) and cleared his throat to read. "The-"

A sharp knock was heard at the door.

Yakko groaned. To answer the door he'd have to maneuver around his siblings, both of which had fallen asleep on him. Yakko pulled his arms out from under Wakko and Dot, neither of which stirred, and left them curled up next to each other. Yakko shuffled begrudgingly to the door after setting down the book, grumbling about the time and how tired he was. He just had his fingers crossed that none of them would be asked to do anything, it was late and they were all quite tired. Yakko just wanted to end this quickly and go to bed.

The eldest Warner reached the door and opened it up a crack, just enough for him to peek his head out. Yakko wasn't in the mood for conversation. A curt "what?" was the only response to the strangers taking up his time. A deep, honeyed voice spoke in response.

"Excuse me young man-" 

"Whatever it is, we don't want it!" Yakko replied, slamming the door in the man's face. It felt good to interrupt the person who had done the same to him. A taste of his own medicine. 

The figure however was persistent, for his hand kept the door from closing the entire way. He pushed it open slightly, a little more than before so that Yakko could get a real look at him. He was a tall, wiry man with greying hair wearing some sort of suit. His face was a bit pale with a large and pointy nose. You wouldn't expect the strength he had from a person of his thin figure. If he wasn't so irritated, Yakko probably would have slunk back in intimidation. There was something menacing about him. However, Yakko had met his fair share of menacing people, so this wasn't too out of the ordinary. 

"I assure you, this is quite important." The man said, keeping the door held open. Yakko sighed, and reached for something behind the door. He picked up the megaphone and yelled "WE'RE NOT INTERESTED IN WHAT YOU'RE SELLING!" Boy, was Yakko ever grateful they kept it there for situations like this.

The man was taken aback, his face contorting in anger. "I'm not selling anything you little-!" The man yelled harshly. Yakko had to keep himself from recoiling. He had heard people yell at him tons of times, but there was something especially terrifying about this man. The stranger took a deep breath and continued in his usual dreary voice. "Young man. I am not a salesman. I am here for the company."

Yakko was hoping he wouldn't say those words. That must mean that this strange, intimidating man was an employee. If Plotz had sent him, that would mean he would need their attention. Yakko was _not_ in the mood to meet with Mr. Plotz. 

"Look, buddy" Yakko spoke in an exasperated way. He was looking for any opportunity to get back to bed. "We're kind of busy right now."

The stranger didn't take the hint. He started to push the door further open, forcing his way in. "That is not of concern to me."

Before Yakko could do anything about it, the man pushed the door open the whole way. What Yakko saw made his heart sink.

There were three muscular men behind the figure. While the face expressions among the men were varied, none of them were friendly. Yakko would've said something, even if it was just a stutter, but when he saw the man on the very left, he froze.

He KNEW this person.

Or at least, he's seen him. It was the man he had run into earlier in the day. A sense of dread started to settle in. Something wasn't right here.

The men started to approach the Warners. Yakko backed away nervously. Sure, Warner Bros employees were often sent to fetch the siblings (they wouldn't exactly show up otherwise), but it wasn't like this. There was something off about this, yet Yakko wasn't sure what to do.

"Alright men. You know what to do."

Yakko watched as the men surged into the water tower, blocking the only exit. The Warners were trapped. Yakko found himself stepping away from the people invading his home, until he felt his back hit the wall. He swallowed nervously, trying to find something to say. "W-wait what-" was all Yakko could stutter out. Whether it was from fear or exhaustion, Yakko couldn't think of anything to say. He ALWAYS had something to say. What would he do of his words couldn't get him out of the situation?

"Huh..?" 

A voice came from nearby. Yakko looked over at his bed. His little siblings had woken up and were looking around disoriented, Wakko covered in crumbs from sleeping on the unfinished chip bag. When they saw the strangers inside their home, the younger Warner siblings jumped off the bed. "Yakko..." Dot spoke in a questioning voice while stepping closer to her brother. "Who are they?" 

Yakko was struggling for an answer. He didn't even know himself. All he knew was that they were bad news. 

Suddenly, the strange men started to pick up the pace and close in. In response, Wakko and Dot started to run closer to Yakko. He reached out his arms, willing to protect them from harm.

But the men grabbed them.

Two of them had rushed forward and seized the younger Warners by the arms. Yakko's heart dropped when he heard them yell out in protest.

"Hey!" Yakko cried out, reaching towards his brother and sister. "Let go of them!" 

Yakko felt a whole new kind of panic. Whatever he thought about the strangers before was replaced with resentment and terror. He rushed to the aid of his brother and sister, but felt himself be pulled backwards. The stocky man from before had gripped the older Warner by the arms, holding him away from his siblings.

"What's going on?!" Wakko called out.

"Yakko, what's _happening_?!" Dot cried out to her brother, struggling to escape the grip of her captor.

"I... I- I don't know!" Yakko pulled away from the stocky man's grip... But it barely did anything. He was just so... Tired.

The wiry man, who had made his way to the middle of the room, snapped his fingers. "We're done here. Let's go." He swept his way out of the water tower, his lackeys following behind. 

The men were strong enough to carry the Warners in one arm, which is exactly what they did when they reached the ladder. Yakko hadn't stopped struggling, but his movements were slow and weak. He didn't have the energy to fight, but he certainly tried.

Usually encounters with hostile people involved the Warner siblings messing with them and inevitably getting what they want in the end. That's how things should've gone this time. But Yakko was having trouble thinking of any way out of the situation this time, partly because his mind was filled with worry for his siblings and partly because his mind craved sleep. In fact, Yakko's vision was starting to darken, and he was having trouble keeping his eyes open. He was blinking constantly to keep them awake. Out of the corner of his eyes, Yakko saw something. At first, he pushed it off as his vision playing tricks on him. But as they reached the bottom of the water tower, Yakko realized something.

He knew that shape.

He recognized the person walking away nearby. Yakko realized that he had found help. His heart leaped in his chest. 

"Scratchy!" Yakko yelled out desperately. The figure turned around, with a face of... Shock maybe? It was hard to read. But it didn't matter. Yakko just had to reach him.

"Scratchy! What's happening?!" Scratchansniff looked at something nearby that Yakko couldn't quite see. No response.

"Scratchy please! Help us!" Yakko tried calling out to him one more time. But he did nothing. The therapist just stood and watched as the Warners were taken away.

"Scratchy! Scratchy please!" Yakko kept calling out, but he was being taken further away, and the figure of Scratchansniff was getting smaller.

"Dr. Scratchansniff!" Yakko put all his energy into one last scream. But it was all in vain. Nothing changed.

Yakko stopped struggling. He felt completely wounded. Everything stung. It was like the Earth shattered over his head. Dr. Scratchansniff did... Nothing. Even if he didn't want to help them, he could've explained things... He could've said what the Warners did wrong...

But he did nothing.

All the emotions Yakko felt, fear, anger, sadness, especially confusion all started to fade away as Yakko's eyelids started to droop. He wanted to stay awake, he wanted to do something! He NEEDED to do something. But as he saw the men carrying Wakko and Dot start to go separate ways, he felt too weak to do anything about it. All he could do was watch as his siblings were taken away into potential peril. The last thing he remembered before drifting off was a mutter from his own mouth.

"No... Wakko, Dot..."

"Don't go..."

* * *

"Wow, that plan a' yours actually turned out pretty good. You know, despite all the flaws."

Mr. Ries heard a voice speak from behind him. He frowned. Of course she came to pester him as soon as he got back. It was like the woman lived to taunt him. 

"Do not patronize me Via." Mr. Ries spoke without bothering to turn around. "My plan is brilliant. And it would be nice for you to actually go along with it without your constant nagging for once."

"That was _supposed_ to be a compliment ya downer." Ms. Lynn replied with amusement in her voice. Mr. Ries hated that tone of voice.

He turned his attention away from her and directed it towards the window. The blinds had been opened, and the night sky was clearly visible. He watched it for a moment as he pondered. Things went according to plan, but the man thought about some of the actions the Warners had taken. He wondered if his doubts about them were true, more specifically the eldest one. No matter, if things really did get out of hand, he would be able to fix it.

"What'cha thinkin' about now Mr. Big Brain?" Ms. Lynn asked in a curious yet condescending voice. She was able to put on such a childish facade, something one wouldn't expect from a woman in her late 30s. Mr. Ries groaned and rubbed his temple.

"Can't you find anyone else to pester Via?"

"Hey, I'm just makin' sure you don't have any doubts or nothin'" she raised her hands in a mock innocent way.

Mr. Ries turned his attention back to the window, ignoring his associate once again. He grabbed the the string dangling by the side of the window and messed with it, turning it around in his hands.

"You aren't doubting yourself... Are ya?"

Mr. Ries hesitated for a moment, before using the reflection in the window to look back at the woman. "... Of course not. Everything went exactly as I had planned it."

Mr. Ries pulled on the string once and closed the blinds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter was supposed to come out a few days ago, but I had decided to rewrite it so it took a bit longer. The original version just didn't have enough detail, answers, or emotion.


	4. Why? What? How?

It was morning.

At least, Wakko thought it was morning.

He had slept for a long time, so it had to be morning by now, right?

He couldn't really tell. The room was just too dark around him. There were no windows or lights, covering the room around him in one big shadow. He could still see, but just barely. Wakko couldn't make out any details of the objects around him, only their shapes. However, only one of the objects interested him. Wakko squinted in the darkness at the round shape on the floor across from him. He was sure that was his hat, the thing he had lost the night before when he was brought into this place. Wakko had tried multiple times to reach it, but each effort proved unsuccessful. It didn't mean he would stop trying though.

Wakko leaned forward and extended his hand, trying desperately to grab his cap. He struggled with it for a moment, always seeming too far away. He stretched his fingers as far as they would go... But to no avail. There was just the smallest amount of distance between him and his cap, but it was just enough. He was the slightest bit too far away.

Wakko sat up and hugged his legs to his chest. He was really hoping to have gotten it that time. He felt weird without his hat... Almost uncomfortable. After all, he was used to having something to wear on his head at all times, and it deflated his spirit a little when he couldn't get it back. Wakko pushed that thought out of his mind. Sure, he might not have been successful that time, but he would get his hat back. He knew he would.

Deciding to give it one last effort, Wakko pushed himself forward as much as he was allowed, finding himself on his stomach as he reached towards his hat. He inched his hand towards it, flailing his arm around wildly in an attempt to get closer. He didn't even realize how silly he probably looked. Silly or not however, his attempts awarded him, as Wakko pushed his item close enough to reach. Wakko smiled and cheered, an audible "yes!" escaped him before he even stopped to think. He grasped the end of his cap to bring it closer...

Suddenly the door swung open.

It was a creaky old door, one that would alert everyone nearby when it was being opened. When Wakko saw the two tall scary men walk in, he immediately sat up, hugging his legs in close. For whatever reason, Wakko didn't like these men. They weren't the ones who broke into the water tower last night, (at least he didn't think they were) but something about them seemed just as unlikable. Wakko was confused as to why they were there, but once he noticed what they had he didn't care. One of those men had a sandwich. 

Wakko's mouth watered when he saw it. He had been trying to avoid thinking about it for as long as he could, but now his hunger was too much to ignore. He watched desperately as the man took another bite of the sandwich. Then another. Wakko probably looked like a starved puppy with the way he watched the strangers. A part of him was hoping that he would get something to eat like that sandwich man. After a few moments that felt like hours of Wakko staring pitifully, the sandwich man pulled a small chunk away from his food and tossed it to him. Wakko looked down at the pathetic piece of food that had landed on the floor, his hope starting to diminish. 

As quickly as they had came the men were gone. After taking one last, almost taunting bite of the sandwich the sandwich man left along with his partner. They barely payed attention to as they walked away, and Wakko watched in horror as their dirty shoes stomped all over his hat that he had failed to pick up. Once the men had left and shut the door behind them, Wakko noticed that his hat was further away than it had been before. One of the men must have kicked it away... Whether it was on purpose or not Wakko had no clue, though he could have sworn he heard cackling from behind the door.

_What just happened?_

Wakko frowned miserably. He was so confused about all the things that had taken place. Why had they stomped all over his cap? And why... This? Wakko picked up the small piece of the sandwich and looked at it. It definitely wasn't enough to satisfy his hunger, he just had to hope that he would get more food later. He wished he could go and get something to eat. He also wished he could see his siblings. Wakko didn't understand why he was taken away from them, and kept in this room. They were never taken away from each other, not even when they were punished. Wakko didn't understand why he couldn't go see them, ask them why everything happened, if he didn't know the answer they might!

Wakko sighed. He didn't understand any of it.

* * *

_Roses are red... But they can also be white... And yellow... And..._

Dot was thinking to herself. Besides sleeping (which she had already done a lot of) and thinking, Dot was having trouble finding things to do. So she decided to think of some poetry.

_Roses are Red_

_They can also be pink_

_This really stinks._

Dot felt like that poem really summed up how she felt about the situation. Well, actually no, if it was truly accurate it would have had many more extreme words. She supposed she could think of one later. After all, she had no idea what she was doing in this room and how long she'd be there. Still, she thought her poem was pretty accurate to her feelings. The room she was in was gross, and dusty, and icky and and...

And dark.

Dot wasn't able to make out any shapes, the only exception being the light pink flowery couch beside her. Dot would've much preferred to sit there, and she probably would if she could reach it. Sure, it was all dusty, but so was the floor. At least the couch had pillows. Dot sighed wistfully. It's not like she had the option anyway.

Dot started to tap the ground. For a long moment there was one sound in the room, the tap, tap, tap from her fingers against the hard floor. She was stirring up a little bit of dust with her actions, but Dot had a feeling that would happen no matter what she did. She was trying to ignore it.

That's when another sound was heard. The littlest Warner didn't notice it at first, but the faint sound started to get louder. It wasn't much, just barely loud enough for her to make it out. It sounded like... Voices? Two of them, and they sounded a bit muffled. Dot guessed that they were from people nearby. She had no idea where she was, but she knew it had to be a room somewhere. Maybe there were people outside her room... The only question was what kind of people. They could be nice people who would take her out of this room and bring Dot to her siblings and explain everything... But they could also be like the ones who broke into their home the night before. Dot was nervous to find out which one it was. Either way, she didn't want to talk to them. She didn't want anything to do with the people who put her there, even if the voices outside weren't from them. Dot crossed her arms and turned away, expecting the sound of a nearby door opening. However, that wasn't the sound she was greeted with. The voices get louder, it sounded like yelling...

Then a loud crash made Dot jump.

It was so much louder than the voices before. Dot frowned. Wasn't anyone going to come and get her? Sure, she didn't want to see anyone... But it's not like they were planning on keeping her there forever. It was probably just a short punishment that would be over eventually...

But... Why did they deserve a punishment? What had the three of them done wrong?

* * *

There was nothing in the room. Yakko had looked around in the darkness multiple times, yet he was sure there was nothing. Well, besides the heavy metal door that he could see if he squinted. 

Yakko sighed. He was bored, he was restless, but mostly he was just... Worried. Worried about his siblings, worried about himself, worried about the strange behaviors of the people around him. Well, the behaviors of the people he saw yesterday. The strange new faces that had immediately made their presence. Busting into the water tower at night... No one did that. Even when they were in trouble or were called for a meeting, usually one of the employees (mainly Dr. Scratchy) would call them or knock on the door and ask them to come.

Scratchy. Yakko didn't want to think about him. He didn't want to think about any of those people. Either way, he hadn't seen them, or really anyone since what he assumed was yesterday. It had just been him, sitting alone in the dark, basically fighting himself in his mind.

How could he have let this happen? Yakko knew he should've done something, anything! He could've tried to talk things out with the strangers (for once), fought back of he had to, or at LEAST have stayed awake! Yet he did none of that. Still, there was a shred if optimism in his mind, telling him that it wasn't his fault, this would pass, and that it was probably just a small punishment and he would see his siblings again soon.

Still, it was hard to be optimistic when you were confined by chains.

* * *

"Don't prove me wrong Doctor... I wouldn't want to have to see you as a threat as well..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I was having trouble deciding what to do with it for the longest time (even now I'm not totally happy with it). I'm glad it's finally out though✨


	5. The Morality of it All

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended up changing the rating of the story while I was writing this chapter, simply because of the reference to alcohol and some of the stuff we'll see later. Not sure if the teen rating will stick, I'll see if it still fits when the story's done.

The cheer of everyone around him did not match Dr. Scratchansniff's inner mind. All the employees were cheering, and laughing, and dancing (except for the writers who were always miserable)... Yet the lot's psychiatrist was not. He sat alone at a table set near the back of the large, bright room, the frown on his face a stark contrast from the smiles of the others. He knew he should be happy like everyone else... But he was having trouble getting behind the reasoning for the party. Everyone was so happy to have the Warners' antics gone... And, perhaps, even the Warners themselves. How could he celebrate, knowing that anything could have happened to the kids? They had never been able to control their chaos before, so how could this strange man do it so successfully without concerning methods? No one seemed to care. As long as the problems were dealt with the employees couldn't care less. Except for Dr. Scratchansniff.

A harsh pat on the back brought the therapist out of his thoughts. He turned to see the company CEO, Mr. Plotz, standing beside him. "Otto, you're at a party aren't you?" He asked in his usual gruff way.

"Ja, so?" Scratchansniff replied, deciding to ignore the man's informal way of greeting him. 

"So lighten up!" Mr. Plotz said with another harsh pat to the back. "This is a celebration after all! Try to cheer up and enjoy it!"

Dr. Scratchansniff looked down and sighed. "I suppose so..." He gave in, partly in hopes that he would be left alone.

"That's the spirit!" Mr. Plotz said with a hearty smile. "There's nothing to worry about, you hear me? Absolutely nothing! No worries here!..." 

Mr. Plotz trailed off as he danced his way to another table. There almost something else behind that last statement... But Scratchansniff decided not to look into it. It was probably just Plotz being his normal, strange self. Though, he was probably right. Why couldn't he just enjoy the party like everyone else? This was something he could enjoy... When did the Warner kids ever do that for him? All they ever did was cause needless suffering for him. Even when they try to do good like getting him a birthday present...

Scratchansniff decided to get some fruit punch.

He would've drowned out his thoughts in other drinks like many of the other adults there, but he would prefer to stay in a sound mindset. So, instead, the therapist decided to distract himself from all of his confusion with just a nice, simple, glass of punch. Or rather, a small paper cup. Sure it was a party, but it didn't mean anymore money was spent than what was necessary.

As Scratchansniff made his way over to the long, fold up table to get to the bowl of punch, he felt multiple people bump into him harshly. It felt like everywhere he turned there was someone there, and by the time he even made it to the punch bowl he was worn out. He took one of the small paper cups and started to pour some fruit punch, but when he was harshly bumped by yet another careless and or drunk employee and spilled half his drink, he decided he'd had enough of the party. Scratchansniff took his small, quarter full cup of punch and quickly walked out of the banquet hall (as this room was often called, whether it really counted as one or not was another question). Scratchansniff didn't even bother looking at anyone as he got away. He just kept his head down until he made it to the entrance of the room. As he pulled open the doors to see the darkening sky around him, he felt like there were eyes on him. Dr. Scratchansniff turned around just as the doors were closing to see someone standing still, watching him. Before he could get a good look the doors were shut but... Scratchansniff was sure that was...

_The stress must be getting to me. Why would Mr. Plotz be watching me?_

There were many reasons why that could be the case. He was probably curious about the sound of the doors being opened, since no one had left the building at all that night. That's the theory Scratchansniff chose to believe.

His thoughts on the party diminished quickly however, as the doctor found himself staring up at the water tower. The "banquet hall" was really just an abandoned stage building that was set up for parties when they actually had them. And, coincidentally, it had a perfect view of the water tower. Now Scratchansniff couldn't avoid his stressful thoughts. After all, the water tower was the home to the Warner brothers and sister, the exact people... Characters... Children... Whatever they were that he didn't want to think about. Dr. Scratchansniff sighed before taking a measly drink of his fruit punch. Everything that could be thought was, it was what he was going to do about the situation that needed deciding. A part of Scratchansniff still wanted to argue in Mr. Ries's defense. There's no way he could be hired if he could do any harm. Besides, he said it himself... He wouldn't harm children...

But that was before he spoke with Scratchansniff alone.

The meeting that the therapist had been trying to push out of his mind... He knew he couldn't stop thinking about it. It mostly seemed like nonsense at the time, just a long monologue about things Scratchansniff couldn't follow. The only part he really understood was the assignment he was given. The assignment Scratchansniff flaked out on.

He was supposed to do something involving the stages, but he instead had decided to take a walk to clear his head. That's when he saw it. He remembered the screams of Yakko. The distressed calls of a child... He sounded so FEARFUL...

But Mr. Ries had confronted him. Told him "the children are just confused, but I assure you, everything will be fine." Part of Scratchansniff still believed him. And... Even if he didn't, there wasn't anything he could do about it right? Apparently he had the kind of power in the company to assign him a job he didn't even have, so really there was nothing he could do about it.

Honestly though, there wasn't much Scratchansniff would do if he could. Because Mr. Ries made him all kinds of nervous.

He didn't like admitting that to himself, but it was why the therapist had been avoiding the strange man. He wanted to have as little encounters with him as possible. That was one reason Scratchansniff even stayed at the party for as long as he did, it was one place he could be without any fear of running into him or any of his accomplices. Because, well, they didn't join in the celebration.

Scratchansniff sighed, and wondered whether he should go back inside. It was getting quite dark, and being all alone in his thoughts wasn't helping his headache. He took a final sip of his punch before throwing away the cup, in a nearby trash can. Turning back around to the banquet hall, he hadn't realized he had walked so far away from. Come to think of it, he didn't even realize he was walking until now. That is until something caught his attention. It wasn't much, just the slight creak of a door nearby. But to a stressed doctor who had heard nothing but quiet footsteps for the past few minutes, it was a terrifying sound. Dr. Scratchansniff looked to the source of the noise, another stage building to his left. As he walked closer to it, he noticed that the door was left open a crack, something that would never be done when the buildings were locked up for the night. It was all a bit too suspicious...

Dr. Scratchansniff peeked into the darkened room, wondering if anyone was inside. It could be something like raccoons, which he would hopefully not have to deal with, or something bigger like... A person. As much he'd love to just walk away, Scratchansniff didn't want to get blamed for whatever happened in there. He remembered the eyes of Mr. Plotz as he slowly approached the open door. He didn't want his boss thinking that any harm done was from the only employee he saw leaving the party.

Scratchansniff reached tentatively for the doorknob, taking a deep breath before pushing it open a crack. With yet another deep breath to prepare himself, the man called out into the darkness. 

"H-hallo? Is anyone there?"

No response, no noise. Not even a scuttle. He stepped further into the dark building, calling out once again. No response.

Scratchansniff wondered if perhaps it was empty. Maybe someone really had just left the door opened after locking down, after all everyone was so excited... It could happen.

Scratchansniff felt ready to turn around and leave the darkened building behind him, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Scratchansniff nearly leapt in the air, a small shriek escaping him. He was wrong, he was so so wrong. It wasn't a raccoon or a forgetful employee, it must be someone much more malicious than that. A thief perhaps? Either way, he started to fear for his own life.

"Dr. Scratchansniff?"

The thief had a surprisingly gentle voice. Come to think of it, she had a pretty familiar voice...

"Nerz?" Scratchansniff asked, relief and surprise apparent in his voice. He felt his terror disappear. It wasn't some Ill-intented stranger coming to kill him. It was just his fellow employee. A competent one as well.

"What are you doing here?" Scratchansniff wondered, turning around to face the nurse. 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you I just... Wanted to see how you were doing. You weren't looking too good."

Guess more people noticed Scratchansniff then he realized. He didn't know just how strange his behavior must have seemed until now. Perhaps he should've been more subtle.

"O-oh. Right." Was all Scratchansniff could muster out. He could have said anything else and that's what he chose to say. Wonderful.

However, Hello Nurse didn't seem to care. "Is there anything you want to talk about? You seem more um... Stressed than usual." She asked.

Normally Dr. Scratchansniff would've declined. However, all the pent up feelings were starting to get to him. To be perfectly honest... It would be nice to be able to talk about all the things bothering him. Though, he would still be hesitant with what he spoke about.

"I've dappled in a bit of psychology you know" Nurse stated. That made sense, the woman probably had every talent known to man. Scratchansniff must have still looked reluctant, since she added "besides, everyone needs to talk every now and then. Even psychiatrists."

Dr. Scratchansniff sighed, finally looking up and giving eye contact. She seemed so genuine in her words. If he trusted anyone with the information he was about to share, it was her. "Oh... Ok" he replied.

He then proceeded to let out all the thoughts he had been carrying with him, feeling a bit of stress lifted with every sentence.

* * *

Yet another one of Mr. Ries's plans had worked brilliantly. Of course the thrill deprived employees would clammer at the chance to celebrate, leaving he and his associates to speak privately. Or at least, that would be the situation if one of them actually knew how to spend her time wisely and be on time.

Mr. Ries sat on a crate that had been been left leaning against the stage building they waited behind. It wasn't the most comfortable accomodations, but he would not be caught dead sitting on the ground. Of course, he wouldn't need to be sitting if he hadn't been waiting for so long. Of course Via chose now to be late. Could she not listen to him for once?

Mr. Ries looked at the other person waiting with him. The taller man was peeking around the side of the building, watching the party take place from far away. There wasn't much to see mind you, just a building off in the distance with the lights still on in the windows. The man watched it nonetheless.

"Apologies Debbie." Mr. Ries stated. "But you can party to your heart's content once we're done here."

_If we're ever done here_

Even if it was said in his usual cold tone, it seemed to cheer Debbie up, at least a little bit. Mr. Ries however, felt just as unhappy as ever. Where was that woman?

His thoughts were answered as a skinny lady ran up to the pair, hopping over a few nearby crates instead of walking around like a sensible person. She was huffing and puffing for breath once she arrived, hunched over with her hands in her knees. Mr. Ries was not impressed.

"I suppose '7:30' has no meaning to you?" Mr. Ries asked, standing up to look at his associate while keeping his demeanor cool. She, in turn, had only retorts to give.

"Yeah yeah yeah, mock the asthma lady. But before ya start whining hear me out. My tardiness actually benefits ya."

Mr. Ries quirked an eyebrow. "I'm listening. But this better be good. We still have matters to discuss before the night completely settles in."

"As much as I hate to admit this." Ms. Lynn said, a promising start. "You were right. About the doctor guy? Yeah he's real torn up about those kids ya put away."

Mr. Ries tapped his fingers together, slowly. Of course he was right. He knew something was up, even before Dr. Scratchansniff snuck out of his duties and lied about "getting supplies." Luckily, he had thought about a situation like this, and he had everything under control. However, he still needed some information.

"Via" Mr. Ries started, a hint of something in his voice as he stepped closer to the woman. Perhaps curiosity. "Tell me... How exactly did you learn this information?"

Ms. Lynn ran her fingers through her short crimson hair. "I have my ways." She replied with a smirk.

"Indeed." 

Mr. Ries knew she had somehow eavesdropped in on something not meant for her. Usually he'd prod the answer out of her, but he didn't have the time now. 

"Whatever thing you were were wasting your time spying on" Mr. Ries started to give Ms. Lynn a task. "I need you to get back there. Find out more. I need to know if this any kind of threat."

"Aw, ya don't want me to stick around for your big discussion? That stings." Via replied in that annoying, childish sarcasm. "At least explain to me later, alright?"

"I do not explain things twice. Debbie will tell you everything afterwards. Now go." 

Ms. Lynn smirked and walked away surprisingly easily. Now only one obstacle remained before he could get to the true purpose of their little link up.

"Debbie, get me Mr. Plotz. I need to see if he can give me any useful information."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Ms. Lynn was originally going to say b****ing instead of whining. I could have done it considering the story's teen rating but eh, for some reason I'd rather leave cussing out. Probably because Animaniacs doesn't.


	6. The Things You'll Hear

Nurse was a surprisingly good listener. In fact, Scratchansniff found himself spilling out more information than he had wanted to. She listened to all of his problems, only butting in occasionally to give a few words of advice. By the end of their conversation Scratchansniff felt like some weight had been lifted, and he was in a better mood than he had been in awhile. Still, decisions had to be made.

"Und I'm not sure what to do about all of it. It's not like there's much I could do if I wanted to, but... Still..."

Nurse tapped her chin thoughtfully, her brows furrowed in thought. It was a lot of information to process, and Scratchansniff would understand if she wouldn't be able to help him. After a moment, Nurse spoke up.

"Well, that certainly is an important decision" Nurse said thoughtfully. Scratchansniff wrung his hands nervously. He wasn't sure what she was would say, though a small part of him hoped she would make his decision for him. It was a nice thought, though it most likely wouldn't happen.

"How about this:" Nurse set her hand gently on the distressed therapist's shoulder. "Think about how you really feel about the situation, who you really trust. And, all in all, just listen to your heart."

Her words shocked Dr. Scratchansniff. He assumed Nurse was part of the celebration of the now gone Warners, so he was pleasantly surprised that she was so accepting of his thoughts. His worried frown turned into a slight smile, now feeling comfort at the thought of having an ally. Especially because Nurse's response was so much more respectful than Mr. Plotz's. Even if she wasn't as qualified for this as Scratchansniff would be, it still felt nice to be able to talk to someone about the stress that had been eating at him for the past day and a half.

"Alright" Scratchansniff replied, unable to find any other words to express himself.

Nurse gave him a reassuring smile. "I know you'll do the right thing."

Scratchansniff wondered whether Nurse had a preference on the actions Scratchansniff took. If she did, she didn't say. She left the decisions up to him.

It was silent for a bit, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Scratchansniff was mostly in his thoughts, running by everything that had happened the past two days. He thought... And thought... Taking his time to make decisions. After all, it's not like there was any reason to rush. Nothing too serious could happen in the amount of it took the doctor to come to a conclusion.

"Well, I think I'm going to head back inside" Nurse broke the silence. She turned around, heading back towards the door and leaving Scratchansniff standing alone in the dark. Just before heading out, Nurse turned back to him. 

"Try not to stress about it too much tonight doctor. If you need anything, you know where to find me." 

"Ja ja, I'll join you in a minute" Scratchansniff called. He didn't quite feel ready to head back to the hustle and bustle of the party, but he certainly didn't want to stay in that abandoned stage building. It was giving him the heebie-jeebies.

Scratchansniff followed Nurse outside, standing and watching the now dark sky. The air was chilly around him, much unlike the heat the day brought. It was kind of nice being able to watch the stars.

As Scratchansniff wandered the empty lot, he wondered about his choices. "Decisions" was a word he had thrown around a lot that night, but he wasn't exactly sure what kind of decisions he had. So what if he was worried about the Warner children? He had no idea where they were. He supposed he could call the police, but Scratchansniff highly doubted Mr. Ries would have done anything to warrant an arrest. They are after all only children. He wouldn't do anything dangerous to a child... That would be absurd!

Then again, Scratchansniff had no idea how the man could have controlled the Warner kids otherwise. He shuddered at the thought. But, perhaps it would be easier to do nothing and wait (which was the option he would take if he did trust Mr. Ries). Easier perhaps, but dealing with the guilt and stress wouldn't be.

But why would Scratchansniff feel guilt? Mr. Ries was hired by the company, he was trustworthy.

Well, about as trustworthy as a hungry grizzly bear, if not less so. Scratchansniff realized that, while the Warner's were the bane of his existence, Mr. Ries could not be trusted. Scratchansniff just had to hope that his suspicions about the man were wrong. 

A sound from behind snapped Scratchansniff out of his thoughts. He cleared his ears, wondering if he was going crazy. He had been hearing sounds all night, but had seen nothing so far, unless Nurse counted. This obviously couldn't be her though, Scratchansniff had watched her go back inside the banquet hall. Maybe it was just little mice scampering all over the place (employed or not). Either way, Scratchansniff felt too tired to try and deal with it anymore.

That is, until he saw the figure. 

He didn't catch it at first, only noticing after he rolled his neck and happened to glance at one of the stage buildings. It was a tall and thin person, sneaking around behind the buildings. Scratchansniff's heart jumped when he saw it.

That wasn't a mouse.

The doctor watched as the sneaking figure made it's way around one one of the stage buildings, then another, then another... Scratchansniff couldn't turn away. He stood frozen, thinking about his options. It hadn't seen him yet, so he could get away quite easily. The banquet hall wasn't too far from where he stood, he could get back there relatively easily...

So Scratchansniff, against all good judgement, decided to follow it.

He wasn't quite sure why, though it probably had something to do with how tired he was. The doctor was sick of fearing the random sounds around him, he was already stressed enough as it was. So he decided to figure out what was going on with the figure so he could be done with it. That, and an unmistakable gut feeling. It was quite out if character for Dr. Scratchansniff, though a lot of crazy stuff had happened the past few days. Besides, if it got too dangerous, he would get out of the situation.

It took a while to catch up with the figure, mostly because Scratchansniff was much slower. He made sure his footsteps were quiet and not distracting, which made him much the slower than the creeping person. It felt like hours of slow, quiet movements, even if it was only a few minutes. Scratchansniff couldn't really tell. Whichever it was, the time it took Scratchansniff to traverse the back alleys of the stage buildings was petrifying. There were plethoras of crates, props, and other items piled around that took extra care to avoid. Scratchansniff was genuinely surprised he didn't have one of those cartoon-y accidents where he tripped over something and caught the attention of the stalker. Luckily, such tropes do not exist in this story.

Scratchansniff had long lost track of the person he followed, and he had toyed with the idea of turning back for the past few buildings. That is until he started to hear something. The closer he got, the louder the sound got, until he was able to make out what he was hearing.

It sounded like... Voices.

Strange, considering everyone was at the celebration. Perhaps his earlier theory on thieves was correct, in which case he'd want to get away as quickly as possible. Though, the voices... They seemed quite familiar. Once Scratchansniff was close enough to make out who was speaking, his thoughts on burglars disappeared. It didn't mean his worry was gone though, because the people he did hear were arguably scarier.

"... I hope everything went smoothly."

"Yeah yeah yeah, what do ya think I am, an amateur?"

It was Mr. Ries and what sounded like the woman he had introduced, though Scratchansniff was having trouble recalling her name. He was surprised to find them all the way out here, so far away from the main buildings at the lot. He knew they hadn't joined in the celebrations like the rest of the Warner employees, but it seemed strange where they were considering every other time they were together it was usually in an office.

" _What_ you're an 'amateur' in I'm still not sure." The voice of Mr. Ries said, continuing the conversation.

"Ya don't need to know, I got your info and that's all ya wanted."

"Indeed."

Scratchansniff stepped over another prop, a cheaply made wooden shield left strewn across the ground. He made it to the end of the alley and peeked around the building, clutching the corner of the wall. In front of him laid a small clearing, crates piled all around it. There were three people, standing quite close to each other as they spoke. Mr. Ries stood, his hands behind his back as he paced back and forth. 

"I thought you were gonna explain everythin' to me later, why are we still here?" Came the voice of the woman, who was sitting on one of the crates. The only other person was the man who's name Scratchansniff could remember, Debbie, who was also standing nearby.

"I told you Via" Mr. Ries said. "I don't explain things twice. No..." Mr. Ries trailed off in a thoughtful way. Or at least that's what it sounded like, since it was getting much too dark to see their faces clearly. "This is a different matter entirely. One I couldn't fully discuss until you were here."

"Aww, I knew ya liked havin' me around. No need to act like ya don't care about me."

"I _care_ about your information." Mr. Ries insisted. "And now that I have all the details, I see now that we must-"

Mr. Ries ended abruptly. "You seem distracted Via."

"Hm? Oh yeah it's just... I got this funny feelin' we're bein' watched."

Scratchansniff whisked his hand and head out of sight, flattening himself against the building. It was an uncomfortable thing to do, especially when you had to maneuver your feet around a bunch of scattered objects. He held his breath, almost like he'd be seen if he didn't. Scratchansniff had a feeling he was on thin ice with Mr. Ries, and he didn't want to make it any worse. Besides, the thought of being caught eavesdropping by the man was a terrifying one.

Luckily, Scratchansniff wasn't seen. Well, he assumed he wasn't seen when he heard the immediate response.

"Please Via have some faith in me. There's no one around to hear, I've made sure of it." Scratchansniff heard Mr. Ries say. He didn't dare look over the side of the building, fearing for any eyes that could be looking for him. Even if it the alley was too dark for him to be made out.

"Unless... There's something you're not telling us? Anything we need to know about the information you acquired?"

"...Nah." Via said, pushing off the remark. "You just continue talkin' about yourself. You're good at that."

A hmph from Mr. Ries, then a moment of silence.

"As I was saying" the conversation continued. "I believe some extra precautions are in order. I had expected something like this, so everything's already planned out."

Scratchansniff leaned in closer, wondering what they were talking about. Did it have something to do with their sudden presence? Why they were even there?

The whereabouts of the Warners?

"What're ya goin' on about now?" Via asked, and it took Scratchansniff a moment to realize that she was referring to Mr. Ries and not him.

"Remember the 'plan B' I told you about?" Mr. Ries started to say after a moment. "We'll be implementing that."

"Yeesh. Isn't that one a little... Harsh? You're not tryna kill those kids are ya?"

Scratchansniff's blood ran cold.

_kill?_

"They're not going to _die_ Via. They won't have to. They'll just be weak enough to control."

_Die? Weak?_

"Whatever" Via's voice replied, bringing Scratchansniff out of his thoughts.

"Which reminds me" Mr. Ries's voice seemed much colder than before. "There's something else I'll need to get done. After a while, once I tell you to, we'll get the chains from the second Warner and bring them to the eldest. It is imperative that he stays there."

"I thought ya didn't want anyone interactin' with that kid?"

"I don't. I'll let you know the perfect time, when he's sleeping or so."

"And how would ya know that?"

"What is it you told me earlier Via?" Mr. Ries had an odd tone in his voice, almost "dangerous". "'I have my ways.'"

Scratchansniff stopped listening to the conversation. There was no doubt about it, they were referring to the missing Warner siblings. He had been standing around all this time, trusting the word of a man who was untrustworthy. And now someone paid the price for it. 3 someones actually. And it sounded like it could only get worse for them.

He couldn't believe it. He had had a chance to stop this, and Scratchansniff just stood there.

The memories of Yakko's screams now made Scratchansniff sick to his stomach. He had cried out for him, Yakko had put his safety in the hands of the doctor... And he did nothing but let it happen.

They were pests by all means, but they didn't deserve this. In the end, they were still little children.

Scratchansniff clenched his fist. He was going to do something, no more waiting around hopelessly. He wasn't quite sure what he'd do yet, but it would be something, something to save the Warner's from an ill fate.

Scratchansniff carefully stepped over the multitude of props, making his way away from the group. The further he got away from them, the better. Once he was away he would form a plan to save the Warners. If he didn't do it, who would?

As Scratchansniff snuck away from the scene, he caught the last bits of the conversation. "Are we done here? I'm gonna go smoke." Via said.

"Ugh, if you must." 

* * *

The sound of footsteps echoed loudly around the empty hall. Mr. Plotz stomped back to his office, muttering angrily about the situation. _HE_ was still the one in charge, that Mr. Ries couldn't just summon him on a whim. Especially to ask meaningless questions. That man had no power until the Warners were taken care of.

Mr. Plotz sighed, hating the trek back to his office. He was so tired, from the party (which he was so rudely called away from) to the little meet with Mr. Ries, he wanted nothing more than to collapse in bed. But of course, there were some things to be taken care of at the office, which he was not happy about being told to do. 

Oh what he wouldn't give to have this whole situation taken care of so he could retire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took quite a few days, but here's chapter 6! I thought since the main chapter already had a lot of the villains we could see from the perspective of a different major character. The only question is Mr. Plotz's role in the story.


End file.
